INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -
Indiana Senate candidate Todd Rokita says he will participate in a
Republican primary debate that he previously vowed to boycott.

The GOP
congressman’s campaign announced Tuesday that he has agreed to face off on
April 30 with fellow candidates U.S. Rep. Luke Messer and former state Rep.
Mike Braun.

Rokita previously
said he would skip the event by the nonprofit Indiana Debate Commission. His
justification was that Republican primary debates should be moderated by
conservatives - not “liberal media figures” and “liberal college
professors.”

Conservative
commentator and WIBC radio host Abdul-Hakim Shabazz will be moderating the
hour-long, televised debate.

Shabazz said
Tuesday that voters will benefit from seeing all three candidates. He added
that he is glad Rokita appears to have overcome “whatever fear” he had of
joining the debate.